Vertical excavator



Oct 3, 1967 I H. 0'. CRUM 3,344,539 I VERTICAL EXGAVATOR Filed Aug. 13, 1964 Y 4 SheetsShet 1 2 Fig.

Harry 0. Crum INVENTOR.

BY WW 3. m

3, 1967' I H. o. CRUM 3,344,539 I VERTICAL EXCAVATORQ Filed Aug. 13, 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2- F E Y I 1 11 I, T I L. f o

Harry 0. Crum IN VENTOR.

BY WWW mg:

70a. 3, 1967 5, CRUM 3,344,539

VERTICAL EXCAVATOR Harry 0. Cram 1 N VE N TO K BY WM 3% Oct. 3, 1967 I ,H. o. CRUM 7 3,344,539

VERTICAL EXCAVATOR Filed Aug. 13. 1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 34 I 5 9e l6 40 I34 Harry 0 Crum INVENTOR.

United States Patent Mich.

Filed Aug. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 389,346 Claims. (Cl. 37-103) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A vertical excavator including a frame portion which may be stationarily positioned from the ground adjacent a portion of the ground in which a hole is to be dug, the frame portion supporting a mounting assembly therefrom which is shiftable horizontally in right angularly disposed directions relative to the frame portion and which supports a vertically elongated boom therefrom for vertical reciprocation relative thereto and provided with digging means on its lower end portion.

This invention relates to a vertical excavator and more specifically to an apparatus which is designed primarily for digging excavations which are relatively small in plan area. The vertical excavator of the instant invention is particularly well adapted to dig graves and is constructed in a manner whereby it may be readily transported from one location to another and set up in operative position with little effort.

The vertical excavator of the instant invention includes a main frame provided with removable ground-engaging wheels and further includes guide means defining an elongated guideway which is pivotally supported from the frame of the excavator for movement between a substantially horizontally disposed inoperative position and a substantially vertically disposed operative position. An elongated boom is slidably supported from the guide means for longitudinal reciprocation longitudinally along the guideway defined thereby and one end of the boom is provided with digging means. The guide means is fur ther supported for reciprocal movement along a path extending transversely of the frame of the vertical excavator and the portion of the frame of the excavator to which the support means is pivotally secured is swingable through an arc about an axis generally paralleling the axis of ro-' tation of the guide means relative to the portion of the frame to which it is pivotally secured. In this manner, the guideway in which the elongated boom is reciprocal may be pivoted to a vertically disposed position and shifted in right angularly disposed vertical planes. Therefore, the digging means carried by the lower end of the elongated boom may not only be raised and lowered upon the vertical adjustment of the boom relative to the guide means but also laterally adjusted along two right angularly disposed vertical planes, the depth of the excavations made by the excavator being limited only by the length of the boom.

The main frame of the verticalexcavator is generally horizontally disposed and includes front and rear ends, the front end being adapted to'be connected to a towing vehicle and the rear end including removable ground-engaging wheels whereby the excavator may be trailed as a trailer. Still further, the main frame of the vertical excavator is provided with a plurality of adjustable jack means at points spaced about its periphery whereby the main frame of the excavator may be levelled as desired and adapted to conform to uneven ground when the groundengaging support wheels are removed and the excavator is disposed in an operative position to dig an excavation.

The main object of this invention is to provide an efficient and readily operable excavator primarily designed to dig excavations of limited plan area.

Another object of this invention, in accordance with the immediately preceding object, is to provide a vertical excavator including means adapting it to be trailed behind a towing vehicle whereby the excavator will be reasonably portable and thus readily moved from one location to another behind a towing vehicle.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a vertical excavator constructed in a manner whereby a vertically disposed and vertically adjustable support boom including digging means on its lower end portion may be readily laterally adjusted in two right angularly disposed vertical planes.

Another object of this invention is to provide a vertical excavator in accordance with the preceding objects andincluding means whereby the guide means for the vertically adjustable boom may be pivoted between positions with the boom vertically disposed and the boom horizontally disposed.

A final object of this invention to be specifically enumerated herein is to provide a vertical excavator which will conform to conventional forms of manufacture, be of simple construction and easy to use so as to provide a device that will be economically feasible, long lasting and relatively trouble free in operation.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of the vertical excavator of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevational view of the vertical excavator;

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the vertical excavator shown with the ground-engaging support wheels mounted thereon and the digging boom of the excavator in a collapsed horizontally disposed position;

FIGURE 5 is a top plan view of the embodiment illustrated in FIGURE 4;

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary enlarged perspective view showing the manner in which one portion of the groundengaging support wheels may be removably secured to the main frame of the excavator;

FIGURE 7 is a detailed fragmentary perspective view of some of the structural details of the main frame of the excavator;

FIGURE 8 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a further portion of the excavator showing the details of its construction, portions being broken away and shown in vertical section;

FIGURE 9 is an enlarged vertical sectional view taken substantially upon a plane passing longitudinally of the main frame of the excavator and through the center of the 1 guide means for the digging boom of the excavator; and

FIGURE 10 is a composite fragmentary exploded perspective view illustrating two alternate components of the excavator which may be utilized to vary the width of the main frame of the excavator.

and-5 of the drawings that the main frame 12 includes a pair of forwardly convergent elongated horizontal members 14 and 16 pivotally secured together at their forward ends in any convenient manner.

The rear ends of the members 14 and 16 are adjustably interconnected by means of an extendible elongated brace member 18.

In addition, the rear ends of the members 14 and 16 have a pair of rearwardly directed and generally parallel arm members 20 and 22 rigidly secured thereto. The opposite ends of the extendible brace member 18 are pivotally secured to the junctures of the members 14 and 20 and the members 16 and 22.

The apex defined by the forward ends of the members 14 and 16 includes a vertical sleeve 24 with which a screw jack 26 is operatively associated, the screw jack 26 including a lower ground-engaging portion 28. Still further, the junctures defined by the inter section of the members 14 and 20 and the members 16 and 22 also include vertical sleeves 30 having screw jacks 32 corresponding to the screw jacks 26 operatively associated therewith. Finally, the free ends of the arm members 20 and 22 include vertical sleeves 34 with which screw jacks 36 are operatively associated, at least the screw jacks 26 and 36 being removable from the sleeves 24 and 34.

When it is desired to transport the vertical excavator by towing it behind a towing vehicle, a front dolly wheel assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 38 is operatively supported from the sleeve 24 and a rigid transverse axle assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 40 including ground-engaging wheels 42 and 44 and also a pair of upstanding rod members 46 may be secured to the rear ends of the arm members 20 and 22 by removing the screw jacks 36 from the sleeves 34 and inserting the upper ends of the upstanding rod members 46 into the lower ends of the sleeves 34. Any suitable means may be provided for removably securing the upstanding rod members 46 within the sleeves 34 and it is to be noted that the dolly wheel assembly 38 includes an upstanding shank portion (not shown) which is removably securable within the front sleeve 24.

A pair of generally parallel support arms 50 and 52 are provided with transverse sleeves 54 and 56, respectively, on one pair of corresponding ends which are rotatably journaled on the opposite ends of the extendible brace member 18. The free ends of the arms 50 and 52 are interconnected by means of an extendible brace member assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 58 and which includes a large diameter tubular member 60 fixedly secured at one end to the free end of the arm 50 and a larger diameter sleeve member 62 secured to the free end of the arm 52.

The sleeve member 62 includes a diametric bore 64 through which the shank portion 66 of a headed retaining pin 68 is receivable. The transverse brace member assembly 58 also includes a rod-like member 70 including a small diameter end portion 72 which is telescopically received in the free end of the tubular member 60 and a large diameter end portion 74 which is telescopically received in the sleeve 62, the large diameter end portion 74 including a diametric bore 76 registrable with the bore 64 and through which the shank portion 66 may be secured. Still further, the transverse brace member assembly 58 includes a second rod-like member 80 to be utilized in lieu of the member 70 and which also includes a small diameter end portion 82 corresponding to the end portion 72 and a large diameter end portion 84 corresponding to the portion 74, the large diameter end portion 84 also including a diametric bore 94 through which the shank portion 66 is receivable after the bore 94 is registered with the bore 64. The adjacent ends of the tubular member 60 and large diameter end portion 74 are abuttingly engageable to limit movement of the arm members 50 and 52 toward each other. However, when it is desired to extend the brace member 18, the arm members 50 and 52 must be spaced a greater distance apart and therefore the rod-like member is utilized in lieu of the rod-like member 70 when the brace member 18 is in its extended position. The brace member 18 includes a first large diameter tubular section 96 and a second small diameter section or end portion 98 which is telescopically received in the adjacent end of the large diameter tubular portion 96.

In any event, whether the transverse brace member assembly 58 is in the extended position utilizing the rodlike member 80 or the retracted position utilizing the rod-like member 70, it is of a constant diameter throughout its entire length due to the large diameter end portions 74 and 84 being of the same outside diameter as the outside diameter of the tubular member 60'.

A pair of longitudinally extending and forwardly convergent brace members 100 and 102 are pivotally secured at their rear ends to the free ends of the support arms 50 and 52 a spaced distance from the transverse brace member assembly 58. The forward ends of the brace members 100 and 102 are secured together and pivotally secured to one end of a link 104 which generally parallels the arms 50 and 52 and has its lower end pivotally secured to the juncture between the forward ends of the members 14 and 16. Thus, it may be seen from FIGURE 2 of the drawings that the frame 12, the arms 50 and 52, the link 104 and the brace members 100 and 102 define a parallelogram linkage which maintains the brace members 100 and 102 in substantial parallel relation relative to the members 14 and 16.

An extendible fluid motor 108 has one end pivotally secured to the juncture defined by the inner section of the forward ends of the members 14 and 16 and the other end pivotally secured to a transverse brace 110 extending between the brace members 100 and 102 a spaced distance rearwardly of their free ends. The brace member 110 is provided with a pair of longitudinal slots 112 and 114 in its opposite end portions in which upstanding pins 116 and 118 carried by the brace members 100 and 102 are slidingly received. In this manner, the fluid motor 108 may be actuated to raise and lower the brace members 100 and 102 relative to the main frame 12 and shift the transverse brace member 58 longitudinally of the main frame 12.

A mounting assembly generally referred to by the reference numeral 120 is provided and includes a substantially planar plate-like portion 122 and a journal portion 124 which rotatably receives and is slidable longitudinally along the transverse brace member assembly 58. The mounting assembly 120 includes a pair of upstanding longitudinally extending plates 126 and 128 between which a pivot shaft 130 carrying a pulley wheel 132 is rotatably journaled. The plate-like portion 122 includes an upper plate portion 134 and a lower plate portion 136 while the journal portion 124 is defined by a generally semi-cylindrical bight portion 138 interconnecting the upper and lower plate portions 134 and 136.

A guide housing generally referred to by the reference numeral 140 is provided and includes a pair of opposite side plates 142 and 144 interconnected by means of a front wall 146, the rear of the housing 140 being open and the latter defining an elongated guideway in which an elongated boom is longitudinally reciprocal, The side plates 142 and 144 of the guide housing 140 are rotatably journaled from the outwardly projecting ends of the shaft 130 and thus it may be seen from FIGURE 9 of the drawings that the guide housing 140 may be pivoted from the vertically disposed position illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings to the horizontally disposed position illustrated in FIGURE 4 of the drawings. The side plates 142 and 144 include two sets of horizontally aligned apertures 156 and 158 through which a locking pin 160 is selectively receivable, the locking pin 160 being passed through suitable horizontally aligned bores 162 formed in the side plates 126 and 128. In this manner, the guide housing 140 may be locked in either the vertical position illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings or the horizontal position illustrated in FIG- URE 4 of the drawings.

The lower end of the boom 150 includes conventional clam shell type digging means generally referred to by the reference numeral 164 including a pair of bucket halves 166 and 168 which are pivotally supported from the lower end of the boom 150 for movement toward and away from each other, fluid motors 170 and 172 being provided for pivoting the bucket halves 166 and 168, respectively, relative to the boom assembly 150.

With attention now invited to FIGURES 1, 2 and 8 of the drawings, there may be seen a guide bar 174 having one endslidably received through a sleeve 176 pivotally supported from the upper end of the link 104 by means of a pivot pin 180. The end of the guide bar 174 remote from the sleeve 176 is pivotally secured between the upper and lower portions 134 and 136 of the platelike portion 122 by means of a pivot fastener 182. Further, it may be seen that an extendible fluid motor 186 is supported from the mounting assembly 120 at one end and includes a pair of sheaves 188 at its other end about which a flexible tension member 190 is passed. One end of the flexible tension member 190 is secured to the guide housing 140 as at 192 and the end of the flexible tension member 190 is passed about one of the sheaves 188, about a third sheave 193 journalled from the motor 186, and then about the other of the sheaves 188 before being passed over the pulley wheel 132 and then secured to the boom 150 as at 194. Accordingly, it may be seen that the fluid motor 186, when operatively connected to a suitable source of fluid under pressure, may be utilized to raise and lower the boom 150 relative to the guide housing 140. Further, a fluid motor generally referred to by the reference numeral 196 is supported from the upper end of the arm 50 at one end and supports a sheave 198 at its other end about which an elongated flexible tension member 200 is passed. The opposite ends of the tension member 200 are secured to the arm 52 as at 202 and the plate-like portion 122 as at 204. A second sheave 206 is also supported from the fluid motor 196 and an elongated flexible tension member 207 is passed about the sheave 206 and the sheave 208 supported from the arm 50. One end of the member 207 is secured to the motor 196 as at 209 and the other end is secured to the plate-like portion 122 as at 210. Accordingly, the fluid motor 196 may be utilized to shift the mounting assem bly and the guide housing 140 longitudinally of the transverse brace member assembly 58 so as to move the digging means 164 between the free ends of the arm members 20 and 22. Still further, the fluid motor 108 may be utilized to raise and lower the brace members 100 and 102 and to therefore shift the guide housing 140 longitudinally of the frame 12.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the inventionr Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A vertical excavator comprising a generally horizontal main support frame including means adapted to engage and be stat-ionarily supported from the ground, support means carried by said main frame, guide means pivotally and laterally shiftably supported from said support means for rotation about a horizontal axis and shifting along said axis and including means defining an elongated guideway extending transversely of said axis, elongated boom means slidably supported from said guide means for longitudinal reciprocation longitudinally along said guideway, means operatively connected between said guide means and said boom means for longitudinally adjustably positioning said boom means relative to said guide means, digging means carried by one end of said' boom means, and means operatively connected between said support means and said guide means for shifting the latter along said axis relative to said support means.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support means includes support arm means pivotally secured at one end to said main frame for rotation about an axis generally paralleling the first mentioned axis, said guide means being pivotally and shiftably supported from the free end portion of said arm means.

3. The combination of claim 2 including means connected between said guide means and said support means operable to releasably maintain said guide means in adjusted rotated position about its axis of rotation relative to said support means.

4. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support means includessupport arm means pivotally secured at one end to said main frame for rotation about an axis generally paralleling the first mentioned axis, said guide means being pivotally and shiftably supported from the free end portion of said arm means, said arm means including an elongated transverse arm on its free end portion generally paralleling the axis of rotation of said arm means, said guide means being pivotally and slidably mounted on said arm.

5. The combination of claim 4 wherein said transverse arm is longitudinally extendible.

6. The combination of claim 1 wherein said digging means is of the clam shell type.

7. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support means includes support arm means pivotally secured at one end to said main frame for rotation about an axis generally paralleling the first mentioned axis, said guide mean-s being pivotally and shiftably supported from the free end portion of said arm means, said arm means including an elongated transverse arm on its free end portion generally paralleling the axis of rotation of said arm means, said guide means being pivotally and slidab-ly' mounted on said arm, said main frame including a pair of generally parallel and horizontal elongated opposite side members interconnected at one pair of corresponding end portions by means of a transverse member and being free of connections with each other at the other pair of corresponding end portions, said support means defining a pair of elongated arms pivotally supported at one set of corresponding ends from said frame adjacent said one pair of end portions of said opposite side members and interconnected at a second set of end portions by means of said elongated transverse arm.

8. The combination of claim 7 wherein said elongated transverse arm and said transverse member are each longitudinally extendible.

9. The combination of claim 1 wherein said support means includes support arm means pivotally secured at one end to said main frame for rotation about an axis generally paralleling the first mentioned axis, said guide means being pivotally and shiftably supported from the free end portion of said arm means, said arm means including an elongated transverse arm on its free end portion generally paralleling the axis of rotation of said arm means, said guide means being pivotally and slidably mounted on said arm, said main frame includ ing a pair of generally parallel and horizontal elongated opposite side members interconnected at one pair of corresponding end portions by means of a transverse member and being free of connections with each other at the other pair of corresponding end portions, said support means defining a pair of elongated arms pivotally supported at one set of corresponding ends from said frame adjacent said one pair of end portions of said opposite side members and interconnected at a second set of end portions by means of said elongated transverse arm, said digging means being receivable between said other pair of ends of said side members.

10. A vertical excavator comprising a generally horizontal main support frame defining a longitudinal axis and including means adapted to engage and be stationarily supported from the ground, support means carried by said main frame, guide means supported from said support means for shifting laterally of said axis in a horizontal direction and including means defining an upstanding elongated guideway, elongated boom means slidably supported from said guide means for longitudinal reciprocation longitudinally along said guideway, means operatively connected between said guide means and said boom means for longitudinally adjustably posit-ioning said boom means relative to said guide means, digging means carried by the lower end of said boom means, means operatively connected between said support means and said guide means for shifting the latter relative to said support means, said support means including support arm means pivotally secured at one end to said main frame for rotation about an axis generally normal to the first mentioned axis, said guide means being shiftably supported from the free end portion of said arm means, said arm means including an elongated transverse arm on its free end portion generally paralleling the axis of rotation of said ar-m means, said guide means being slidably mounted on said transverse arm.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1952 Beck 37-184 X 9/1954 Przybylski. 

1. A VERTICAL EXCAVATOR COMPRISING A GENERALLY HORIZONTAL MAIN SUPPORT FRAME INCLUDING MEANS ADAPTED TO ENGAGE AND BE STATIONARILY SUPPORTED FROM THE GROUND SUPPORT MEANS CARRIED BY SAID MAIN FRAME, GUIDE MEANS PIVOTALLY AND LATERALLY SHIFTABLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID SUPPORT MEANS FOR ROTATION ABOUT A HORIZONTAL AXIS AND SHIFTING ALONG SAID AXIS AND INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING AN ELONGATED GUIDEWAY EXTENDING TRANSVERSELY OF SAID AXIS, ELONGATED BOOM MEANS SLIDABLY SUPPORTED FROM SAID GUIDE MEANS FOR LONGITUDINAL RECIPROCATION LONGITUDINALLY ALONG SAID GUIDEWAY, MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN SAID GUIDE MEANS AND SAID BOOM MEANS FOR LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLY POSITIONING SAID BOOM MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID 